Oct. 04, 2011

This summer, two Canadian ice shelves that were in place before Europeans settled the area have been melting … a lot. One is on the verge of melting away completely. Some of the ice has been set adrift on the ocean. No biggie, except we’re talking about icebergs. Icebergs that have potential to run into offshore oil facilities and shipping lanes. Plus their absence from the shoreline sabotages conditions for microbial life along Canada’s coast.

It’s like someone with a cholesterol problem buying extra butter after the doctor gives them a stern warming. Come to think of it, since the oil extracted from tar sands is “more carbon-intensive to produce than traditional oil,” it may be more like buying extra lard after a checkup!

This What on Earth? comic strip has a companion cartoon at the Huffington Post. Check it out!